Masonry Contractor in Martinez, CA - Repairs That Match Your Home's Brick
A&K Pittsburg Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Pittsburg that works in Martinez, CA, repairing brick and mortar, rebuilding tired chimneys and building retaining walls, walkways and brick walls that look like they belong.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Martinez homes and the masonry they need
Martinez mixes older houses around downtown and the waterfront with newer neighborhoods that climb into the hills, and our calls here follow that split. On the older streets it's usually a brick chimney, front steps or a garden wall with worn mortar. On the newer lots it's more often a retaining wall, a block wall along the property line or a new walkway. It's the same kind of work we do over in Pleasant Hill, just with more old brick in the mix.
Older brick shapes the job here more than anything else, because a repair only looks right when the new mortar and brick match what the house was built with.
Masonry services for Martinez homes
Cracks in an older Martinez house's brick or block foundation are worth a look early, since a small repair now usually saves a bigger one later.
Brick chimneys on older homes here usually fail at the top first. We rebuild the cap, repoint loose joints and reset brick before water gets inside.
When joints on a brick house have gone sandy or hollow, we grind out the worn mortar and refill it, colored to match the joints that are left.
A cracked, chipped or spalling brick, where the face flakes off, can be cut out and replaced with one that matches, so the wall reads as one piece.
Pavers suit Martinez driveways where an old slab has cracked or heaved, because a single paver can be lifted and reset instead of tearing out the whole thing.
On a sloped Martinez yard, a retaining wall holds the hill back and gives you level ground, and we build drainage behind it so water doesn't build up.
For older brick and stone that has been patched over the years, we clean, repair and repoint it so the house looks cared for without looking redone.
A new masonry fireplace or a rebuilt firebox, the brick box the fire sits in, is laid to suit the room and the age of your house.
Stone veneer, a thin layer of stone, dresses up a plain porch base or front wall on a newer house without the weight of full stone.
Block walls make solid property-line and side-yard walls here, and we fill and reinforce the cells, the hollow cores, so the wall holds its line.
For an addition, a garage or a crawlspace that needs a new foundation wall, we lay and reinforce block on a proper footing, the concrete base underneath.
We build the brick, block or stone base for a grill, counter and storage, so an outdoor kitchen on your patio is as solid as the house.
A brick, stone or paver walkway can replace a cracked path from the street to your door, set on a packed base so it stays even underfoot.
A new brick garden or front wall should look like it came with the house, so we match the brick, laying pattern and mortar color already there.
Natural stone suits low walls, steps and planters on Martinez lots, and we lay each piece by hand so the joints stay tight and the work looks settled.
When only some joints have cracked or pulled away, pointing fills them with fresh mortar, often the right fix for a wall that's otherwise sound.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Martinez
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at the job with you and write up a free estimate, with no obligation.
(925) 318-8090- Based in
- Pittsburg, CA 94565
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
Working in Martinez: permits, licenses and what sets the price
In Martinez, the city's Building Department issues building permits for work inside city limits, and when a masonry job needs one, we can't start until it's approved, so the permit usually sets your start date more than our calendar does. The city decides what needs a permit, so we check with them before we start, and when one's needed we pull it and handle the paperwork. Before you hire anyone here, check two things: that the contractor holds a California contractor's license, and that they have the business license the city requires of contractors. We're licensed and insured. Your price mostly turns on how much old brick or mortar has to come out, how big or tall the work is, how easy it is to reach, and how closely new work has to match old, and I write your number down at the estimate.
Older streets near downtown can be narrow, with houses set close together, so we work out where the truck parks, where brick gets stacked and how debris comes out before the first day. We've been at this since 2017, based in Pittsburg and working in the cities around it, from Concord to Benicia, and Martinez sits right in that stretch.
Older brick and sloped yards keep us busy here
Brick on older Martinez houses wears out at the joints first, because mortar is made softer than brick on purpose, and once a joint opens, water gets behind it and loosens the brick around it. Chimneys show it soonest since they stand above the roof with nothing sheltering them. We find the joints that have let go, grind them out and refill them with a mortar that suits the brick, so the wall goes back to shedding water the way it was built to.
Sloped back and side yards are common here, and when a slope is held by a tired old wall or nothing at all, the hill slowly creeps down onto patios and walkways below. We build retaining walls with drainage behind them so water has a way out instead of pushing on the wall.
How a masonry job runs when you call us in Martinez
Here's how it goes from your first call to the finished wall, so you know who you'll talk to and what you'll have in hand at each step.
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Call us or send a message
Tell us what you're seeing, whether it's a crumbling chimney or a wall you want built, and we'll set a time to come out. Photos help, but you don't need them.
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We walk the job together
I come out myself, look at the work with you and answer your questions, so you understand your wall before anything's decided. You get a written estimate in plain terms, so you know the price before we start.
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We handle permits and build
If the city requires a permit for your job, we pull it, handle the paperwork and start once it's approved. The work is done by me and our crew, and we'll tell you up front if we need you home for any part of it.
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We walk the finished job
When we're done, we clean up and walk the work with you, so you see it up close before we pack up. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions about masonry work in Martinez
Do I need a permit for masonry work in Martinez, CA?
The City of Martinez decides which masonry jobs need a building permit, so we check with the city before we start instead of guessing. When your job needs one, we pull it and handle the paperwork for you. The city's Permit Center page also lists its other permit types, such as grading and encroachment permits.
How do I apply for a building permit in Martinez, CA?
New building permit applications in Martinez go through the city's online portal, for homes and businesses alike. Paper applications need an exception from the Chief Building Official, so nearly everyone files online. When your masonry job needs a permit, we file it for you, so you don't have to learn the portal.
Does a masonry contractor need a license in California?
Yes, for nearly any real masonry job. The state's Contractors State License Board requires a license whenever a project needs a building permit, uses employees, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials together. The small-job exemption only covers work under that amount with no permit and no employees, and a bigger job can't be split up to fit under it. We're licensed and insured.
How much does masonry repair cost in Martinez, CA?
Your cost is set by your job, so I give you a written number after I've walked it with you. Repointing a few feet of joints is a small job, while rebuilding a chimney above the roofline or a long retaining wall on a slope takes more material, labor and setup. Matching old brick, hauling out debris and any permit the city requires also add to it.
How do I get rid of old brick and concrete from a project in Martinez?
On projects the city covers, construction and demolition waste has to be tracked through its web-based Green Halo system. Within 30 days after construction ends, the applicant has to show proof the waste was diverted as required, or the whole diversion security deposit is lost. When a job of ours falls under that rule, we plan the tear-out and haul-off with it in mind.
What is the best way to match new brick to an older house in Martinez?
The best way is to match the brick, the mortar color and the shape of the joint together, because a patch stands out if any one of them is off. On older houses that often means finding reclaimed brick of the same size and color and trying mortar mixes until a sample dries to match. We talk the match through with you before any new work goes into the wall.
Plan your Martinez masonry job with us
A call to (925) 318-8090 or a quick form now leaves time to sort out any permit and track down brick that matches yours before work starts.
Pittsburg, CA